If you really take the time to listen to this recording I find it to be very snappy and fine.
The boys played a ton of shows in 1970 and this was a nice little break (something like two weeks off)They come out ready to play!
Also like that this show has some normally acoustic tunes done fully electric.
1
Me & My Uncle, Truckin', Brokedown Palace, Hard To Handle, Mama Tried, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider
The brokedown stands out nicely/// good harmonies!
Hard to handle features Pig at his best.
China>Rider not overstated or long winded just straight up rocker
2
Big Railroad Blues,-Dang this is HOT
I'm A King Bee,Pigpen must have gotten it more than anyone else in the band, love the harmonica
And tunes like this push Jerry to explore the blues
Sugar Magnolia-> Casey Jones-
the Sugar Magnolia has got some hot licks
Too bad we don't get to hear the SSD>Casey J transition.Nice to get two closers mid-set
Dire Wolf, Out of nowhere like Brokedown in 1st set.This tune still works for them in late 70, so freakin mellow here yet moving along at a slow trot...
All three of these segments below became post drums staples (well sadly not cryptical)_
Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical
Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Darkness Jam-> Not Fade
Good Lovin'-> Drums-> Good Lovin'->
That is a pretty long freight train and even if time has taken a bite out of 'TOO' it doesn't change that it must have blown the crowd away live-WOW! having all this powerful material played one after another. i bet a few event staff and some locals became Deadheads during this show.

Uncle John's Band-La. La. La. La. la!

Ma--What was the name of that band??
Pa--it says here,,,Grateful Dead
Ma--Hope they play the fair ground next year!
Pa--Beat the pants off the 4H -FFA presentation...

Good but fairly unremarkable show.

Hiss, Schmiss. Cuts, whatever...

THIS IS GOLDEN!!!
Like liquid sunshine on my face sitting in a window with piles of snow outside!

No complaints here...thanks for the recording.

Happy wHoly Days!!

It has hiss yes but with it's age and it is the only source i can see so give a listen nice darkness jam also check out 9-19-70(matrix) jam good stuff thanks alot for this

The cut in The Other One is just too brutal, and the hiss is quite annoying.

The NFA/GDTRFB/NFA suite does contain some interesting jamming and Good Lovin' is not bad. (92 pts)

Enjoyable show, sound is decent. Check out the goofy little Loony Toons tease at the beginning of truckin. magic in santa rosa.

This is one of the more clearly audible 1970 Going Down the roads.
And to follow it with a darkness jam, well isn't that nice.

For those who follow mine and the other reviews, looking to nit pick, what's wrong with using the reviewing stance as to how what you can hear makes you feel.

Yes, even Santa himself took time out of his busy schedule to attend this one. Well, maybe not, but his jolly spirit is certainly in abundance tonight. A well played show with many highlights.
As we know, good SBD's from the fall and Dec of 1970 are about as rare as Barbara Bush twirling at a Dead show. So just the fact that, although this show has a few nasty cuts (esp. in the Other One), there's no AUD patches and the quality of the SBD is good, maybe A-, should interest you 1970 collectors.
Disc One features a nice variety of songs, with the somewhat rare additions of Brokedown, which is well sung, and King Bee. Garcia gets some hot licks in during Hard to Handle. But it's the China Cat that really gets the show rolling. Jerry just shoots laser beams of sound at you, and you can practically hear his tubes glowing with that fat, crunchy tone he's getting here. And hats off to Bobby, his guitar work on China Cat is also very good, listen for his solo.
Rider is up tempo, and the vocals are spot on.
There are some volume fluctuations in RxR Blues, but it rocks nonetheless. Then King Bee is a real standout. Once again the Dead prove they can play the blues and that they've studied Muddy Waters like a book.
A tasty version of Dire Wolf begins Disc Two, then the boys trip us back to 1968 with a short but stellar version of the Other One. Garcia really soars, then takes things down to just quiet cymbals and high-necked musings before building back up to the driving theme riff. Then it's cut. What a crime !!! And the 2nd Cryptical, which was likely 8-10 minutes, is also missing. However, the remainer of the show is so hot, it more than compensates. GDTRFB is long and very jammy, and Garcia's brief Darkness Jam is a nice interlude. The 2nd NFA starts with a St. Stephen riff, then blasts back to home base. Finally, Pigpen brings the house down with a fine rendition of Good Lovin, and the UJB to close is icing on the cake!
A show that deserves to be heard, and a solid addition to your 1970 stash, cuts and all.
enjoy,
Dr. Flashback :-)

Every show including this is pretty good. Why no one reviewed this is wierd but short and sweet listen to it there is a little hiss and some wierd splices but thats it and you get a really hot (long & dreamy) other one and great hard to handle. In fact, Pig owns the whole back half of GDRFB, NFA and a particularly hot and I presume ad-libbed good lovin reminds folks how powerful a force he was in the band.